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Friday, December 31, 2010

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

- Luke 2:1-14

As we continue our readings for Christmastide, today we visit Luke's account of the birth of Christ. Yesterday, we read about Joseph and his betrothed wife Mary, and the angel's announcement to Joseph in Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus. See St. Joseph - And he called His name Jesus.

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. My study bible notes here that "Octavian, who as emperor was called Caesar Augustus, ruled the Roman Empire at the zenith of its expansion and power (31 B.C. - A.D. 14). The registration is for the purpose of taxation." Given the historical setting provided by Luke, scholars calculate that the census most likely began about 6-5 B.C.

So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. A note here reads: "Though Mary is with child, the Gospel does not call her Joseph's wife but rather his betrothed wife, for she is still a virgin. Some manuscripts read simply 'his betrothed.' Although betrothal was binding in the Jewish tradition, the couple did not engage in sexual relations during this period." We read in yesterday's reading of the character of Joseph, a kind man who would not put his betrothed in a position of public scandal -- and also of the annunciation of the angel to Joseph in a dream, telling him about the Child and mother. Joseph travels with his family to the historical city of his ancestors for registration, the city of David. In yesterday's reading, Joseph is called "son of David" by the angel, due to his Davidic ancestry. In today's reading, we learn they travel from Nazareth.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. A note here reads: "The firstborn Son is 'holy to the LORD' (v. 23) and has special significance as primary heir and carrier of patriarchal blessings. Firstborn does not necessarily mean others will be born after Him, but only that no child was born before Him. Manger: a feeding trough for livestock. The hills around Bethlehem held many caves where domestic animals were kept by night. It was in such a humble cave that Jesus was born." One imagines the people - others also of the ancestral lineage of David - crowding into Bethlehem for the census. I have read that many homes were built in front of such caves, which were used for livestock as an attachment to the property. This idea of Jesus' birth in such a cave is ancient tradition in the Church; writings dating from the second century speak of this tradition. My friend, Deacon Shant Kazanjian of the Armenian Apostolic Church, spoke to me about the ancient icons of the birth of Jesus, and this picture of a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a stone manger - represented not as a trough but as a table, as a sort of altar - and inside of a cave. Theologically, it is a picture of Christ being born into our world, as one of us: the cave is like a tomb (indeed, like the tomb in which He will be buried after the Crucifixion), the swaddling cloths like those in which contemporary dead were buried after anointing. Even the gifts of the Magi, which we will read about later, contain elements for burial (the myrrh for anointing, the frankincense for prayers). In effect, Christ is born into the depths of our world, overshadowed by death, to become one of us, and to bring light into the darkness. The stone manger, as a sort of table, is representative of an altar on which He is given to us as grace giving this Gift to the world, who will also become the sacrifice for all of us, so that we may have life abundantly. This is the way the ancient Church understood this birth.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. A note reads: "Not to kings, priests or biblical scholars, but to Shepherds living out in the fields do the angels announce the birth of Him who would be Lamb of God and Shepherd of the sheep." These fields have traditionally been identified as somewhere near the Bethlehem suburb of Beit Sahour, overlooking the hill country there. Jesus, of course, will call Himself the Good Shepherd, and those who hear His voice are His sheep. The identification of Jesus with the shepherds at His birth will remain an essential symbol for Christianity, and play a distinct role in its theology throughout the centuries.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. A note here reads, "The appearance of the angel and the radiance of the glory of the Lord underscores the divine event that is taking place, the birth of the eternal Son of God in His human nature." Once again, we encounter the element of grace at work through the action of angelic messengers in this story. This time it is an announcement to the shepherds. The nativity story is filled with such encounters, some of which we've read about in recent readings: to Zacharias, to Mary, to Joseph, and now to the shepherds in the fields.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. My study bible says here: "Christ means 'the Anointed One,' the Messiah. The title Lord shows He is God; Savior shows that He will save His people from the power of sin and death." This birth, this powerful event in which Christ is born into the midst of our world, is not something to fear. The power of grace brought into the world and working in it is something for which we experience great joy, its news good tidings for everyone. This Lord is not coming to judge, but to save, a great Gift to the whole world.

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" A note here says, "Christ comes to bring peace and goodwill toward men, for He is the incarnate love of God, reconciling humanity to God and people to each other." The Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, is a sign to them, a sign to the shepherds, who represent us all, doing our best to care for all that we love, in stewardship in God's world. God brings the most vulnerable of children, a Babe, as His gift to us, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. He will be the sacrifice given for us, the Son given to us, so that we all may have life.

The shepherds represent all of us who need that light and the saving guidance it brings, so that we may have life in abundance, and all that includes, even peace and joy and goodwill. I think it's quite powerful that this image of the shepherds brings us not only a single angelic messenger making an announcement, but suddenly "a multitude of the heavenly host." This is impossible for me to imagine. And there is more, they are "praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'" What we have is at once an image of angelic presence in heaven itself, worshiping and glorifying God, and the great Gift of the Son in our midst. This heavenly event is an eternal reality, but it is ever-present to us, as it is to those shepherds at this moment in earth's history, when we receive our Gift. God's grace makes the heavenly presence a reality available to us, and we celebrate this Gift each Sunday along with that heavenly angelic presence. But first, it manifested before those shepherds who received the Good News, the Sign, the good tidings of great joy. The song of praise will be echoed in the words of Christ at the Last Supper, as He promises that He gives us His peace, and teaches us to love one another as He has loved us. The Gift that is given in this birth of the Babe is a Gift He will institute for us as the Eucharist, that keeps on giving to us, as we "do this in remembrance of Him." That Babe in the cave is born to us as God, as a Gift from God, as Son, as light that comes into the darkness for us. Through angelic messenger, and a whole multitude of the heavenly host, we are proclaimed recipients of this good news, this great joy, this saving grace. But without the love and care of those who hear, who receive this grace and good news, such as Mary and Joseph, where would He be? Where would this story be? How would we have these good tidings of great joy? As He is born the most vulnerable Babe, let us remember our part in God's grace, the part of the shepherds and all those concerned with this story. That role continues in a lineage of grace right through to our times. Where would we be without those who also hear and receive and do their part, with grace working through them? We each do our part as bearers and receivers of this great news, of the light that comes into the darkness.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us." Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

- Matthew 1:18-25

For the remainder of this week, and through next week, the readings in the lectionary will vary through the Gospel of John. Some will repeat from other recent readings. I have made some selections of text relevant to Christmastide and the feast days included in the current period of time. Beginning on Monday, January 10, 2011 the lectionary will take us through the Gospel of Mark. Today's reading focuses on Joseph, the husband of Mary and human "father" or stepfather of Jesus.

Prior to today's selection, in Matthew's Gospel, we are given a genealogy of Jesus' forbears, from Abraham to David, to the captivity in Babylon, until the birth of Christ. The genealogy leads us to the birth of Jesus through Joseph, the husband of Mary, as the descendant of Abraham and David. So, according to Matthew's Gospel, it is through Joseph that Jesus is also called "Son of David."

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. My study bible has a note here that draws us to Joseph's character: "Joseph's righteousness -- the righteousness of mercy, which transcends the Law -- is seen in his unwillingness to expose Mary's supposed sin. Under Mosaic Law, betrothal involves almost the same commitment as marriage. Joseph cannot help but suspect a violation of divine law when he sees his betrothed pregnant. Although obliged by law to report the misconduct, he decides to put her away secretly." We have a charming and interesting parallel here with the lectionary text for today, the reading of the woman taken in adultery. (See reading and commentary for December 8, 2010, He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.) We see from the beginning of Joseph's life as husband to Mary the character of mercy that shapes Jesus' human "foster father." Mercy involves so much more than the simple understanding of kindness or generosity. It also involves the sympathy that allows us to perceive from another's point of view. Thus Joseph expresses his love and his good character, his unwillingness to expose Mary to shame and public scandal. Can we see, then, in Jesus' relationship to women throughout the Gospels, the character of his paternal steward, St. Joseph? What a wonderful human father through which to begin the story of Jesus' birth, a just, kind and loving man who practices righteousness in his concern to choose wisely for all concerned. This is Josephs' first intention.

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. A note here reads, "An angel (or "messenger") of the Lord dispels the false reasoning of Joseph by announcing the utterly unreasonable: the pregnancy of the virgin is by the Holy Spirit. since being born of a virgin proves Jesus' divinity, only the revelation of God, in this case a dream (see also 2:12-13, 19, 22; 27:19), could serve as adequate evidence of this miraculous conception." It continues, "The Bible calls engaged couples husband and wife before their marriage. Just as Rachel was called the wife of Jacob before marriage, because of her betrothal (Gen. 29:21; see also Deut. 20:7; 22:23-24), so Joseph is called the 'husband' of Mary (v. 19) and Mary is called the wife of Joseph." As we observed in yesterday's reading and commentary on The Holy Innocents, events surrounding Jesus' birth are defined by actions of grace - messages that come through dreams, via prophecy, and the annunciation of angels. In this case, we link Joseph's kindness and righteousness with his willingness to accept the word of the Spirit through a dream and the message of the angel. In my view, the text teaches us that the two work hand in hand; first there is Joseph's own inclination and decision for mercy, and then the acceptance of the message of the angel, grace working through a dream.

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: . . . A note tells us: "Here is the first of Matthew's repeated uses of the formula that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (see also 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35). The fulfillment of these prophecies not only underscores the intervention of God in history but also indicates His beginning the new creation." We really must understand at this point that this story is no mere historical repetition of events that happened on a date in the past. This is a story of grace, of God working through our world. It is a story of prophecy, dreams, angelic messengers -- all of which convey to and through the people involved the word of God, and the holy at work in the world. Through these people, such as St. Joseph, God works -- to lead, to advise, to teach. It is a story of grace threading through all the lives involved, and throughout the history of God's work in the world, to us today and in our lives.

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us." Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, . . . A note here reads, "The conception of Jesus fulfills Is. 7:14 in the Septuagint, where we are told that a virgin (Gr. parthenos) will conceive and bear a Son. He who is conceived in her is not a new Person coming into existence but the eternal Son of God, using her womb as His throne. The virginal conception through the Holy Spirit and the name of the incarnate Son, Immanuel, God with us, are clear declarations of Jesus' divinity." "God with us" -- indeed, this is truly a story of God with us, and God is with us in so many ways. The grace through which Joseph receives the word of the angel in a dream is "God with us." And Joseph chooses to accept that grace, he accepts and obeys what he is told, in faith. So, here we have a picture of a complete man, fit to be caretaker and human "father" to our Lord: a just and merciful and compassionate man, whose choice is for the good of all, and who works with the grace that appears in his life, through faith.

. . . and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. My study bible says that "this verse does not imply that Joseph did know Mary after Jesus birth. Firstborn means having been born first and never implies the birth of others." Whatever this verse is considered to mean regarding Mary and other children, it tells us one thing most powerfully about Joseph: that he was obedient to the word of the Lord that was given to him through the angel. In faith, he accepted the spiritual reality of grace in this story, the nature of the Child, and the special role of His mother.

Could we do the same in our lives as St. Joseph? Regardless of what one may conjecture about the historical probability of this story, or the truly astounding quality of the news borne by the angel to Joseph, let us consider the workings of grace in our lives, and the way faith allows us to be open to that grace. We have two distinct elements of Joseph's character shown to us here: his natural personal choice to live a righteous life and all that means of mercy, sympathy, and decisions that are best for all -- and the receipt of the actions of grace in his life, the messages that come through a dream, via an angel, and his ability to understand and accept and follow through in faith. We may conjecture all we want to about what may seem to our daily sensibilities a preposterous suggestion, about Joseph's feelings as betrothed of Mary, but we are faced with a text that tells us of extraordinary events -- and the extraordinary, in anyone's life and in any form, presents a person with extraordinary choices for response. Let us take, then, the image of this father and husband, fit to be foster father to our Lord in His earthly life, and take the image of the father that it gives us for each of our lives, no matter how much less "extraordinary", and accept what it is to be a man who lives a truly righteous life: his kindness and compassion, his sympathy, his instincts to choose what is best for all, and his acceptance in the face of grace, his capacity for faith. I believe I am privileged to know men in my own life who embody these qualities. Would that we all could aspire to be like St. Joseph, the man through whom Jesus' Davidic lineage descends, the man called to care for this young bride who is pregnant. Joseph gives us the image of earthly father so needed in our world, and so loved. We are reminded that such men need not be biological parents - and that spiritual children and loved ones come in many forms, and come to us through God's grace.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Now when they had departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning.

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more."

- Matthew 2:13-18

Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, and the lectionary gives us this reading for its commemoration. (The feast day is pulled forward a day this year because the feast of St. Stephen, the protomartyr of Christianity, was commemorated on Sunday.)

Now when they had departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, . . . My study bible has a note here which reads: "Egypt is where Israel once took refuge and was made captive. As the Israelites fled from Egypt (Ex. 12:31-42), so Joseph flees into Egypt, by night. It is probable the gifts of the Magi paid for this journey. Some of the first steps of Jesus are taken in exile. This is one of a number of instances in Scripture where God's people must elude civil power in order to do His will." I think there are a number of things to note in this passage. In the readings that tell us of events surrounding Jesus' birth, there are many "mysterious ways" in which the God's grace works to send messages to people who are instrumental in this story. In today's reading, a dream is given to Joseph to warn him. Just as the Annunciation to Mary, and Gabriel's appearance to Zacharias, there is an angel at work to send a message, who appears in Joseph's dream. I think the point made by the note in my study bible is crucial to our understanding of all the events surrounding Jesus' birth: our Savior is not born in easy circumstances. Rather, His birth is surrounded with difficulties. He is "God with us" not in a palace or an easy life, but "with us" in all the turmoils we may see in the world, and "with us" in our suffering under the evil and imperfections of earthly life and the burdens and struggles we have to bear because of it. This Holy Innocent and His family must flee by night, as if they are criminals, because of the whims of the powerful and the unjust.

. . . and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." A note here reads, "Out of Egypt I called My Son refers to Israel in Hos. 11:1 (see Ex. 4:22; Num. 23:21-22; 24:5-8). In the Old Testament the son of God is Israel; here Jesus is the true Israel. He reenacts in His own life the history of Israel, without falling into sin." The notion of the persecution of innocents is a highly important spiritual understanding that teaches us about the world. In the Bible, the Holy Books of the Church, including the Old Testament, we are witness to a story about the persecution of innocents in this world. It is an important understanding, an addition to the comprehension of our place in the world, to see the persecution of the innocent by civil authority. It ties us to notions of power and its abuses that we, as "a holy people" must recognize. The work of Rene Girard, a professor who pioneered a reading of these texts as contrasted to the pagan mythologies in precisely this dimension, is quite important to our understanding of violence and the difference of its portrayal in the mythologies and in our Scripture. The Scriptures teach us insights about the persecution of the innocent through the whims associated with power, and give us an understanding and depth necessary to our perception of our place in the world as children of a loving and just God.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. A note here reads, "The cruelty of Herod was prefigured at Moses' birth, when Pharaoh attempted to kill all the male children in order to destroy the first Israel (Ex. 1:16, 22)." I think it's important that my study bible ties in all the scripture in the Old and the New Testaments -- this story and Israel's story. Speaking for myself, it's not only a reflection of Christ as Israel, but of all the "people of God" in the world. The picture of innocents suffering by the whims of the selfish and the powerful is for all of us to understand so that we may consider our choices, and choose wisely when confronted with our own dilemmas in life. Do we consider justice when we make those choices? The traditional elements that form our own temptations make up one side of this equation: jealousy, greed, selfish ambition, arrogance, and an image of ourselves as all-powerful. This is a kind of imitation of an archetypal sin - desiring to see in ourselves the quality of omnipotence that belongs to God.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." A note in my study bible says that "Jeremiah recorded the people of Jerusalem being led away to exile (Jer. 31:15). On their sad pilgrimage to an alien land, they passed Ramah (v. 18), where Rachel, wife of Jacob, lay buried (1 Sam. 10:2). In his prophecy Jeremiah pictures Rachel, who had long been dead, weeping even in her tomb for the fate that had befallen the people, her children. Now, the mothers of Bethlehem weep for the slaughter of their children, the Holy Innocents, who are regarded as saints and martyrs ... As Rachel was told her children would return from exile in Babylon (Jer. 31:16-17), so Jesus will return from His exile in Egypt."

The children of Bethlehem are murdered for the sake of the King of whom Herod learned from the wise men who visited him, as they sought that King. Such is the story of sheer selfish power, used only in consideration of ambition untempered by an understanding of higher authority than that of earthly rulers. Let us consider the slaughter of the Holy Innocents. Historians teach that this sort of behavior was not out of the ordinary for Herod, considered a harsh ruler even by contemporary standards. But what we learn from this passage is not merely a history lesson, it is a lesson in the spiritual understanding of the world in which we live, and our place in it through our own choices. What does it mean to hurt an innocent child in the pursuit of blind ambition and material power? How do we understand what we do without God? Without the spiritual or the holy in our lives? We see the acts of grace that protect the innocent and shape our story through Scripture. There is an active spiritual hand at work, through dreams, through the messengers of heaven - the angels, through prophecy, and even through the wisdom of the "wise men" who learn from the stars. So we take one important lesson out of so many available to us in this reading and its understanding in the whole of the Scripture of Israel, or the people of God: how do the acts of grace work in your life? Are you open to them, or does your own ambition blind you to the Spirit's work? Where is the Spirit in your life and does it guide you in making your choices? We live in a world, as pictured here, in which the effects of a life "without God" make us blind to what God would want for us, the ways in which God would help us to choose. How do you include grace, kindness and mercy in your life? Do you make room for the sight of spiritual perception? Let us consider today grace, and its qualities with which we, too, may be anointed. God's salvation, we believe, comes to us in the form of this Child, this Innocent. Let us consider Herod - the evil image even amid a time of great power used ruthlessly. And consider again, the grace of God that comes via this Child. Which wisdom do we choose to honor in our own lives? Whose wisdom is ours, and for what purposes? We make our choices asking for that grace, and its saving power, so that it is at work in our world, through us. What might we be without it?

Saturday, December 25, 2010

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him."

- John 3:31-36

In yesterday's reading, we read the Benedictusof Zacharias, a canticle sung after the circumcision of his son, John the Baptist. Zacharias - who was previously mute - was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied through his beautiful canticle, which told of the Messiah and the fulfillment of promise for the people of God, their freedom to love God and practice the commitment made to them through the ancestor Abraham. It echoed Scripture (and prophecy) from the Old Testament and foretold what was to be fulfilled in the ministry of Christ - for whom John the Baptist will serve as herald, preparing the people for this fulfillment, as "prophet of the Highest." See To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Today we read John the Baptist's words as he testifies about Jesus. His disciples have just come to him, telling him that Jesus is now baptizing, "and all are coming to Him!" In this speech of testimony to his disciples, John teaches them about his diminishing role, and the role of Jesus as Christ. He says, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven." In the verses previous to today's reading, John tells them, "He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth." John is contrasting his own "earthly" role as prophet with that of Christ "who comes from above." He is guiding His disciples toward Christ. John's role is to serve, above all. We return to the themes in the canticle of Zacharias, which we read in yesterday's reading. Zacharias sang that the promised One would come in God's mercy "to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life." John's greatest role is to serve, his spiritual freedom is to serve "in holiness and righteousness." As the greatest prophet, he fulfills his role, his identity in that freedom proclaimed by his father in the canticle, the Benedictus.

"He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony." A prophecy here of the ministry of Christ. Who will receive His testimony? Jesus, the Son, testifies to what He knows that others do not know - he comes from the heavenly reality which others do not know and have not seen and heard. Notions about this testimony will come into play as the religious leadership will question Jesus' authority to speak of such things - and this authority, which comes from above, will not be recognized, His testimony will not be received.

"He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure." Here is the summing up of a relationship and communion - and the nature of this relationship is love. Love defines and describes the relationship between the Father and the Son and the Spirit - all are One in One via relationship. It is so important to read that "God does not give the Spirit by measure." One is either in this place of relatedness or not! And ultimately that love and relatedness is a gift of grace.

"The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him." The relationship of Father to Son is all in all: the Father "has given all things into His hand." And again, we return to the understanding that we abide in this place of relationship, or we do not - and we lose the gifts of that relatedness, the "life, more abundantly" that we are promised by Christ.

Life itself is tied to relationship to the Father. Surely as Creator, the power of life is a gift in God's hand for us. But what is life, more abundantly? Surely it is to live in deeper communion with God - and the more that increases, the more the power of life within us and its abundance for us. In yesterday's canticle, Zacharias proclaims the great freedom, the liberating action of the Messiah as the freedom to serve. It is a liberation from enemies who would prevent us from living that life of the practice of righteousness and holiness - in the deepest fulfillment of covenant, the promise made to Abraham - that the Messiah, the Anointed One, will bring. This abundance of life in relatedness brings us the important context into which this fits, the work of the Spirit and His fullness in us, so that He may "guide our feet into the way of peace." Again, we remember that Jesus will teach His disciples, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." This gift of the fullness of the Spirit, which God does not give by measure, is the gift of life - the freedom to be God's people, to live in covenant, communion, commitment, to receive His testimony, to fulfill our greatest identity through the freedom to serve and to learn the Way of peace. This is John the Baptist's testimony to his own role as the greatest prophet, and servant to the One "who comes from above." Where will the Spirit "not given by measure" take you? How will your liberation fulfill your own identity? How does it teach you the way of peace, in the receiving of testimony? What life does it give you? Into this world a Child is born. What life does He give birth to in you?

Friday, December 24, 2010

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited and redeemed His people,

And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of His servant David,

As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,

who have been since the world began,

That we should be saved from our enemies

And from the hand of all who hate us,

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers

And to remember His holy covenant,

The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

to grant us that we,

Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest:

For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

To give knowledge of salvation to His people

By the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace."

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

- Luke 1:67-80

In yesterday's lectionary reading, we read the Magnificat of Mary, the beautiful prayer that echoes down the ages, through the women of the bible before Mary with whom the Lord interacted and bestowed grace, through whom we received works of the Holy Spirit. See My soul magnifies the Lord. Mary also went to her kinswoman Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, and stayed with her through his birth. As Mary helped to bring the baby John into the world, so the Baptist will be the forerunner, helping to deliver into the world the ministry of Christ, of Jesus, Mary's child. Today we read of Zacharias' first words after his child is born. On Tuesday, we read of Zacharias' vision in the temple as he burned the incense, and the visitation and prophecy of Gabriel to him. Zacharias was mute from that encounter, his failure to embrace the prophecy made to him. In today's reading, the baby John has just been circumcised, and Zacharias has stunned his relatives by giving the baby a name that is not a part of his lineage, as he was guided to do by Gabriel. John means "God is Gracious."

My study bible has a note on this song of Zacharias in today's passage. "The song of the priest Zacharias (often called the Benedictus, the first word of the song in Latin) is a prophetic hymn of praise to God. God is blessed for His gracious and redeeming acts among His people in fulfillment of the messianic promises now at hand. Verses 76 and 77 speak of John and his role as the prophet of God preparing the people to receive Christ."

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, . . . Throughout the readings of recent days, we learn about the action of the Holy Spirit and His communicative bonding through all people whom He touches. Mary and Elizabeth met together, and immediately understood the holy connection between them and their babies. Here, Zacharias' tongue is loosened at the naming of his son according to the instructions of the angel Gabriel, and he prophesies for all of us to read.

. . . saying: "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David . . . " Throughout this prophesy, there are many references to Old Testament Scripture, echoes of events past, and the prayers that fill the events of the history of Israel, or the People of God. This canticle is a prophecy of the fulfillment of prophecy, the manifestation of the Messiah. A "horn" is symbolic of power or strength, and in this case it is the power of salvation ... in the house of His servant David. Jesus' name means "God is Salvation" and he will be considered "Savior" and "Redeemer." Through His father/guardian Joseph, Jesus is of the house of David.

"As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham: to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life." The prophesy of redemption lies in the freedom to worship and to serve. The enemies are those who oppose the worship of the God of Israel, who seek to enslave and curb the freedom of those who wish to worship. The entire canticle is in the tone of one who wishes the freedom to serve and to fulfill the covenant between God and God's people, sworn to the forefather Abraham. To serve in holiness and righteousness is to be redeemed by being freed from the slavery of sin. It is a poem of spiritual liberation - the divine freedom to serve God as the manifestation of the liberty promised by the Messiah.

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest: For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins . . ." John the Baptist will be the Forerunner, the one who heralds the Messiah and His ministry. Jesus will call him the greatest of the prophets. John will preach, echoing the prophet Isaiah, that the people are to "prepare the way of the Lord," and to "make His paths straight." He will "preach a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."

". . . Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." The Greek that is translated here as "Dayspring" is literally the word for "sunrise." It also is used to mean the East, the direction from which the sunlight comes, and the sun rises out of the darkness. The Dayspring from "on high" is the Messiah, who comes to us through the "tender mercy of our God" -- "for God so loved the world." The shadow of death is the shadow of sin and of all evil, the enslavement from which we need the liberation praised in this beautiful canticle. And perhaps most beautiful of all, the gift of spiritual liberation is the promised "way of peace."

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. My study bible notes that "two things in particular are important for the child John: (1) he needs to grow strong physically, and (2) he needs to grow strong in spirit. Like some Old Testament prophets, especially Elijah, John practiced solitude with God until he was called to begin his ministry." John exemplifies the spiritual freedom of the prophets, of those who are dedicated with all their soul, and heart and mind and strength" to serving the God of Israel. He is freed from the fetters of the society, liberated to God's love so that he may preach and fulfill his role as greatest of the prophets, and Forerunner and herald to Christ.

The theme in today's canticle is that of spiritual liberation. We don't often hear talk of this necessarily in a Christian context. But spiritual freedom is an essential part of our understanding of who we are, to my mind. In this context of the prophesy of Zacharias, given through the blessing of the Holy Spirit, liberation - true, essential freedom of the people - is the freedom to worship and to serve God, the God through which a covenant was made with their ancestors in the person of their father Abraham. To fulfill this prophecy is to be redeemed from slavery to death and its shadow, to the evil of the world, and to live life in communion with God, as God's people. There is a picture of this liberation in Jeremiah chapter 31, in language which is echoed (in verse 77) of Zacharias' canticle: "No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the LORD. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'” True liberation will come for the people of God through the anointing of the Holy Spirit for all the people, which the Messiah will leave as the culmination of His incarnation and ministry to the world. Liberation for the whole of the people of God comes from the lifting of the darkness and the shadow of death through a knowledge of the Lord. Knowing takes on its deepest connotation of communion here, of relatedness and relationship. We will be blessed through a ministry of the Anointed One - for whom John the Baptist prepares the way - who will in turn anoint us. This is a liberation of His people for a purpose: to guide our feet into the way of peace. This liberating Messiah is not a fearful warrior, but a guide to peace, to the peace that comes to each one of us in this kingdom linked by the anointing, by His Spirit. Jesus will teach at the Last Supper (in John chapter 14): "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." Let us remember that His Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth, and that it is in John's Gospel that Jesus teaches, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." This Helper, Comforter, Advocate is bestowed upon us all through this ministry for liberation, freedom - so that we may learn how to walk the paths of peace, which is the true blessing of a life lived in the freedom to serve and worship, to practice holiness and righteousness in this kingdom, in all the infinite ways the Spirit can teach us to do that in our lives. The Benedictus, the canticle of Zacharias, contains it all, prophesied for us - for all who can accept it, and claim this liberation, and learn the true meaning of peace.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-56

In yesterday's reading, we read of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, the kinswoman of Elizabeth. Gabriel tells Mary: "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" And he goes on to tell her that she will bear a son, who shall be called Jesus ("God is salvation"). Mary wonders how this can be, and Gabriel tells her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth is in the sixth month of her pregnancy, and Mary has just been made aware of what is to come - her own pregnancy. My study bible says here: "The babe, John the Baptist in his sixth month of gestation, leaped in her womb (see v. 15) as a joyous response to the presence of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Mary's womb." In the Eastern church, there is a traditional perspective on Mary during her pregnancy with Jesus, that she contained the whole universe in her womb, as she carried the incarnation of its Creator. This scene teaches us of relatedness and ties - these are kinswomen, but at the same time the Holy Spirit works to unite them all in understanding and purpose and spiritual truth. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit by the very greeting of Mary.

Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" A note in my study bible says, "Mary receives veneration from both angels and humans. For as did Gabriel (v. 28), Elizabeth also calls Mary blessed. Mary is the model of womanhood. None other has ever received the glory given to her, either in Scripture or in Church history." The "filling of the Holy Spirit" gives Elizabeth an immediate understanding. There is a palpable sense here of touch, of contact, and by that contact the gifts of the Holy Spirit of wisdom and knowledge that fills both women and contains their relationship with one another, and in the great drama for the whole world that is to come, in which each of their sons will play a part.

"But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" A note here reads: "Mary is confessed as the mother of my Lord by Elizabeth. This was no mere man Mary carried. The title 'Theotokos' (the mother of God), given to the Virgin Mary by the Church, was derived from the truth of this confession. For unless that One in her womb was God, the world is still enslaved to sin." Mary's understanding - given to her by Gabriel - is echoed here in the words of Elizabeth, who perceives according to the Holy Spirit. The amazing contact, touch, extension and illumination of the Spirit in this scene is a model of our understanding of the power of this Spirit and how He works with us, among us.

"For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." Elizabeth confirms what Mary has been told by Gabriel. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she communicates to Mary and shares with her the good news from God. The Holy Spirit creates this connectedness between us, works this way among us -- these two women, bearing two babes, show us the way.

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever." And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. My study bible has a long note which I will quote on this passage: "This passage (called the Magnificat, the first word of this song in Latin) is a remarkable hymn of praise to God. It comes from the heart of Mary, who was probably only 16 or 17 years old at the time, but also from Hannah, advanced in years, who first uttered this inspired prayer (1 Sam. 2:1-10), which had been prayed by expectant Jewish mothers for centuries. From this New Testament passage we learn: (1) Christian believers for all time will honor or venerate the Virgin, for all generations will call me blessed (v. 48). . . . (2) Identity between Mary and Israel is implicit here as the Israel of God, the Church, receives His mercy (v. 54). (3) The reign of God is over (a) our hearts (v. 51), (b) kings and rulers (v. 52), (3) the poor (v. 52) and the rich (v. 55), and (d) the faithful of God (v. 54)."

I see in this wonderful prayer the connection to the whole history of Israel, the people of God, as it echoes the prayer of Hannah. The Holy Spirit creates ties not only among those who share their lives as contemporaries, but extends through time to connect us even to others through experience, meaning, learning, understanding. And it extends not only through the past and those who have come before, but into the future: "henceforth all generations will call me blessed." For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. There is an action of mercy, a lifting up of the state of the humble who serve - and an extension: this mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. This mercy overturns the order of things: the arrogant and conceited are knocked from their places, while the lowly are lifted up. God's strength becomes the strength of the meek and humble; in God's mercy His power is shared with those who love Him. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. God fills those who are empty, and sends away those who do not and cannot share that mercy themselves. It is an overturning of the order - and those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness and mercy are filled, just as Elizabeth and Mary are filled with the Holy Spirit. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever. Again, the story of these women is reflected in the whole of the people of Israel, those who serve God, and the Spirit extends its connection throughout the whole of this history, as it is connected throughout all of the Scripture and the Good News. Mary's connection, then, is not merely with her kinswoman Elizabeth and not merely through the ties that will bind their sons in this central historical drama of the Scriptures, but it is with all of us, and all of history. The Holy Spirit does His work in all of us, for each of us, and this story is truly for each of us as well. When we seek to pray and enter in dialogue with our Creator, this story is for all of us, for each of us, and the ties that this Spirit builds extend through each of us, and throughout our spiritual history, and into the future and those who are to come and choose also to be a part of this reality, to be filled with the good things of this Spirit. We are all the "living stones" who fill the earth with the connectedness of this Spirit and the communion and communication He creates among us, within us. All contained in Mary's womb is this universe of creativity and power, that will shake up our world, and fill us with good things. How do you contain that magnitude of gift within yourself? How do you share it with the world, with others? With whom do you make that connection, as did Mary and Elizabeth? Let prayer be the action of the Spirit for you today, and take notice of what happens, and how you feel connected in His work. "My soul magnifies the Lord," Mary said. Truly, so may we all.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

- Luke 1:26-38

In yesterday's reading, we were given a reading from Luke's first chapter, about Zacharias and Elizabeth. Zacharias and Elizabeth were the parents of John the Baptist, and we read about John's conception. Elizabeth was barren, and both parents considerably aged. Zacharias, from a priestly lineage, took his turn to burn the incense at the hour of incense in the temple. While the multitude prayed outside, an angel, Gabriel, appeared to Zacharias. Gabriel told him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." Elizabeth's public "reproach" will be taken away from her - but first, Zacharias hesitates in responding to the announcement of Gabriel.

In today's reading, Luke takes us to another annunciation by Gabriel, "who stands in the presence of God." Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. My study bible notes here: "Mary (lit.,"exalted one") is betrothed to Joseph, a man of royal lineage, of the house (family) of David. Luke says twice for emphasis that Mary is a virgin." The "sixth month" is the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist. These families are already tied as kindred, but the reality of the Spirit creates deeper and greater ties. Gabriel appears to both women. In yesterday's reading, we were told that Gabriel "stands in the presence of God." It is important that we understand the present reality of such an appearance in our world - a holy reality interpenetrating earthly life.

And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" A note here reads, "Highly favored (Gr. charitoo) can also be translated 'full of grace.' Mary is greeted with an exalted salutation because, in her destiny to be the mother of Christ, she is the most blessed woman of all time. In accord with Luke's picture of her, Mary is praised in the Orthodox Church as being surrounded with divine grace and shining with holiness." Mary's great blessing is to be the bearer of Christ, of the Anointed One. Like all spiritual blessings, it is at the same time a responsibility to carry with one into the world - not necessarily bringing great power, luxury, or ease, but a gift from God befitting her capacity for its reception with love.

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Mary is immediately troubled - what does this mean? She makes an immediate connection, a receptivity to Gabriel. She doesn't doubt herself, doesn't doubt the presence of the angel, but there is an immediate receipt, an understanding. My study bible comments here, "What a description of the expected Messiah!" What kind of expectations does this set up for Mary? As Jesus' life plays out, as we read in the Gospels of what happens in His ministry through His persecution and death on the Cross, how does Mary understand what has happened, and the words of Gabriel? What faith is required for that?

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. A note here reads, "Holy Spirit and power of the Highest are synonymous; this is a case of repetition for emphasis. Holy One is a messianic title. That He is to be born of Mary demonstrates Christ's human nature. But that the Virgin will conceive and bear the Son of God reveals the divine nature of Christ. We note especially the reference to the Holy Trinity: God the Father (the Highest), the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Mary's question is not a refusal of the news, but a real question. She is engaged with Gabriel, in dialogue. Repeatedly we read in Scripture that this is what is asked of us from the Holy - an engagement, a dialogue, a willingness to be in relationship. It is the power of the Highest that will "overshadow" Mary, and the Holy Spirit that will come upon her; through her and her "engagement" with the holy will be born, therefore, the One called the Son of God.

Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Gabriel begins to teach Mary about Elizabeth's marvelous conception, and gives her these words that will be echoed later in another form by Jesus, "For with God nothing will be impossible." Mary accepts, so much and in so many ways. A note here reads, "Mary's faithful response makes her the highest model of obedience to God. The Incarnation of the Son of God is not only the work of the Trinity, but also the work of the will and the faith of the Virgin. Therefore, the Virgin Mary is honored not only because God chose her, or because she bore the Son of God in the flesh, but also because she herself chose to believe and obey God firmly."

"For with God nothing will be impossible." These are tremendous words to ponder today. I wonder what it means to each one of us. So often, in prayer, I have entered into a dialogue with God only to expect or to wish upon God a certain outcome for myself. Often, these outcomes I'd like take the forms of what is expected, what I understand as good, or the best. But with Mary's great and astounding blessing, we wonder what the outcome is. How could she have predicted this blessing would take the form that it does in the eventual ministry and death of her Son? Although today we rejoice at the impending birth of Christ in our readings, I can't help but feel that this tremendous blessing teaches us so much more about what it is to be engaged with the Holy, with the Highest, and the Holy Spirit, and the Son. A blessing from the Holy confers with it the highest honor - and at the same time, perhaps, the most solemn of responsibilities. Can we carry forward our blessing in God's name, and seeking God's will in all things? Can we accept the outcomes that may not be "our own" - in our image of what is good? Let us remember that blessings, like this great light bursting into our world with its fire like that of a great sun, often take the forms which are surprising and stunning to us -- that light and knowledge and understanding may come in packages we would never have expected. Do we have the grace, like Mary, to see through it all? Do we have the faith that gives us the right sight, and hearing? "With God nothing will be impossible" means that we enter a realm that is not our own, in which anything can happen, and any and all uses for all of our worldly experiences may be encountered. We engage with the holy -- can we see its great light? Are we ready for all the possibilities, and the outcomes that will astound us? God will use all that we have and are for God's purposes, and it may be surprising what great things come from a humble presence, what rejoicing God can create through even the sad realities in our world. "For with God nothing will be impossible." Are you ready for that journey and the burning fire He brings with His birth and His incarnation into our world? Could each of us bear that blessing as will Mary? No wonder Gabriel tells her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zecharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

- Luke 1:5-25

In yesterday's reading, the lectionary took us to John chapter 5. Jesus was speaking to the temple leadership, who at that point in the Gospel were seeking to persecute Him. Jesus gave four different witnesses who testify to Him and to His identity and authority: God the Father, John the Baptist, the works that Jesus Himself performs in His ministry which are of the Father, and the Scriptures of the Old Testament through which Moses gave his testimony. The central question of authority is significant to Jesus' conflict with temple leadership -- Jesus says that His will is not His own, but rather He does the Father's will. He says, "I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from only God?"

In today's reading, the lectionary takes us to the story of the parents of John the Baptist, Zacharias and Elizabeth. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. As this is a reading from Luke's Gospel, there is once again the distinctive historical reference that corresponds to all the events he reports. My study bible notes that, "Zacharias and Elizabeth are a righteous couple of a priestly lineage, living always to fulfill God's will. But Elizabeth, like other well-known women of the Bible -- Sarah (Gen. 16:1), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), Hannah (1 Sam 1:2) and others -- is barren, which was a public reproach (v. 25)." Elizabeth, we are told, is not only barren, but they are both well advanced in years - making it all the more unlikely they should conceive a child.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. My study bible teaches that "each priest was assigned to a division (v. 8; see 1 Chr. 23:3-6; 28:13). There were 24 divisions in all, each serving a week at a time by rotation. The responsibilities of the priests in the division were decided by lot (v. 9)." As they are from a priestly lineage, it is a part of his heritage to fulfill this duty; it is a reinforcement of the devout character of this couple.

And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zecharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." I quite like this fact we're given here in the story, that the "whole multitude of the people were praying outside" at this hour of incense, when Zacharias' duty is to burn the incense. It gives us a hushed scene of devout prayer, in which is set this great answer to prayer. A note reads, "Zacharias has prayed often for a son and now his prayer is answered. The angel (Gabriel, v. 19) promises a son who will be named John, meaning 'the grace of God.'" Incense is symbolic of prayer that rises to God and is pleasing: "May my prayer rise before you like incense" Psalm 141:2.

"And you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." My study bible comments, "Note the description of the character and role of John the Baptist as an ascetic prophet who is to prepare the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah. Elijah (v. 17), one of the greatest prophets of Israel, was expected to reappear from heaven in order to anoint the Messiah." We know that Jesus will teach that John is the return of the spirit of Elijah, who announces and heralds the Messiah. This prophecy (including the quotation) is from Malachi 4:5,6. John, of course, will preach repentance and divine justice in preparation for the Messiah. This devout couple will produce a son who is wholly dedicated to the Lord, and will live his life as the greatest among the prophets.

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." A note reads, "Zacharias' question indicates a lack of complete faith in God's promise. Compare this with Abram's response when he was promised a son: 'he believed in the LORD' (Gen. 15:3-6)." What is the nature of faith? When we are confronted with a powerful revelation in Spirit, where do we find our truth?

And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." A note in my study bible says that "losing his speech serves both as discipline for Zacharias' unbelief and as a sign of the truth of Gabriel's announcement." What is it to stand in the presence of the holy, even an angel such as Gabriel? The hallowed setting of the temple, and Zecharias' duties at the hour of incense, the people at prayer outside, all give us a setting for the holy -- Zecharias is standing in a holy place and has a visitation from this great angel of Annunciation. It is a place where faith connects our reality to the holiness of God. How do we receive it as we stand in that place?

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. In the midst of the gathering of those at prayer, it's clear that something tremendous has happened. We witness, through Luke's Gospel, the power of the holy, and the effect of our response to it.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." Elizabeth is as devoted to God as is her husband. As does Mary, the mother of Jesus, she accepts wholeheartedly the gift of God. As Zecharias stepped into the community of the people, who then understood he had had a vision in the temple, so Elizabeth steps into community too, with grace. "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

In some sense, our Christmas story begins here, with the story of Elizabeth and Zacharias. The conception of John the Baptist begins the dawn of the light that is to come. As Christmas approaches, we can think about the kind of preparation involved in this great event, the great light of Christ, who will call Himself the light of the world. This is a bridge between the old covenant and the new. John the Baptist, born of devout parents, whose birth is announced by Gabriel to his father as he takes his turn to burn the incense in the temple, is the last in a line of prophets, and the greatest among them. It is he who will announce the Messiah, and prepare the people for this shattering, world-changing event. Let us remember what it is to stand in the presence of the holy, to be made a promise, and how to receive a gift. Christ will be our gift of grace, for the whole world. How do we receive Him, the light that is to come? What careful preparation has gone into the planning of that gift of grace so that you may receive it? How do you accept it and prepare for the light of the Incarnation? Once again, we return to humble - even the most unlikely - circumstances out of which great holy things are born. We prepare with prayer and devotion. Yet - are we ready?

Monday, December 20, 2010

"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

- John 5:30-47

As we go through the lectionary in Advent, awaiting the celebration of Christmas, we find readings from all of the Gospels. On Saturday, we read the version of John the Baptist's ministry as herald or messenger of the coming kingdom from Luke's Gospel. Luke's Gospel emphasizes the light that is coming to all the nations, that makes no distinction of heritage but rather comes to all people, for whom His paths should be made "straight, every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight. And the rough ways smooth." The playing field of this Lord is open to all - and "all flesh shall see the salvation of God." In today's reading, we turn to the Gospel of John.

"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." My study bible has a note here which reads: "The divine will is common to the Persons of the Trinity, for all share the same divine energy. In their manifestation in the world, however, all energy originates in the Father, being communicated through the Son in the Holy Spirit. Here there is a sense that the Son obeys the Father. This is because, in His human nature, the Son has human energy -- including human will -- which He offers to God the Father as the source of all. This is His own will which must do the will of the Father." Jesus teaches us about Himself, what is His nature, how this kingdom works, and how His judgment works. There is tremendous love, an emptying to the Father, a service attitude which Jesus will show throughout His ministry and until His death on the Cross. For everything there is a reason, a higher purpose.

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth." Over the past several readings, we have read about John the Baptist, as his story appeared in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. John the Baptist came bearing witness, as prophet, of Christ -- the One who was to come. My study bible has an interesting note which applies to these verses and to the rest of today's Gospel reading: "In Jewish tradition, a valid testimony requires two witnesses (Deut. 17:6). Jesus offers four witnesses to His messiahship and divine Sonship: (1) God the Father (vv.32, 37, 28); (2) John the Baptist (vv. 33-35); (3) His own works (v. 36); and (4) the Old Testament Scriptures, through which Moses gives His testimony (vv. 39-47)."

"Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved." A note here reads, "The testimony from man is that of John the Baptist." This is a powerful theme that is repeated in all the Gospels. Who bears witness to Jesus'divinity? From whence comes His authority? It is repeated throughout the stories of His conflicts with the authorities in the temple, and with other authority figures in these books. Who is He? Who can bear witness of Him and tell us about Him? The key to this mystery is in this verse: Jesus' authority rests in Himself and in His identity with the Father. His mission is to save - to that end He ministers, "for God so loved the world."

"He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of me, that the Father has sent Me". John was the "burning and shining lamp" - a lamp lit with the grace of God, lit by the light of the flame that is God, giving us light to declare what is to come. Jesus also performs the works which the Father has given to Him to perform, and they bear witness of the Father's presence in this ministry. Miracles are not proofs but rather testimony. Can you hear true testimony? Can they? Jesus is speaking to the temple leadership, who seek at this point in the Gospel to persecute Him.

"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe." And here we have a very interesting passage, with a key to the understanding of the faith which He asks of us. When we read of the confession of faith of Peter, speaking for all the apostles, Jesus tells Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." There is an internal connection to the presence of the Father in each of us, and it is this connection that reveals faith, understanding, trust, connection. It is relationship, relatedness that comes from the Father, working in each of us to create recognition, this bond of faith, of love. This word abides in us, if we let it. For this reason, Christ says, they haven't this seed of truth - the Father's word - abiding in them; the implication is they have rejected it, they do not truly love it.

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you." A note here says, "Jesus is aware they do not possess the love of God; it does not remain in them because they do not receive Him who comes in the name of His Father." There is a depth of connection, a bond that creates relatedness; it is a shared love. They do not possess it, and cannot recognize that which acts, works, lives in the name of the Father. To be "in the name of" someone is to bear that someone's image, to act as an extension of that person.

"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from only God?" Jesus makes a clear distinction about the things we choose to love. Do we love God, or the honor that comes from men? If someone is acclaimed by others, socially prominent in the highest places, is this our verification that he or she is someone worthwhile? Or is there another kind of discernment or judgment deep within us that teaches us who and what to love? Which do we place above the other? What do we love?

"Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" And here Jesus gets to the heart of this question -- do we love the praise of men or the praise of God? Moses' words come from Moses' love of God. But the people to whom Jesus speaks read Moses, "in whom they trust," not with the love of God, but with the love of the praise of men, of that which is exalted in the world. Can we, too, understand this difference?

There is a powerful meaning for us as we who feel ourselves a part of this Church 2,000 years later read these words. If it is possible for the experts in the Law, and all the temple leadership, to read Moses and to trust in Moses, without the love of God, then surely it is possible for us to exalt Jesus in all external ways, and to read these Scriptures and say we trust in them, and yet be missing the important connection in our hearts to the love of God. Hypocrisy, without doubt, is not something reserved for the ones whom Jesus rebukes here, those who seek to destroy Him. Rather, we must look to these words and consider what we put first and what we love in our lives. Jesus does not attack Moses, nor does He attack the Scriptures - His condemnation here is for those who do not burn with the love of God, but rather who act for the praise of men, who take honor from one another rather than from God the Father. How can we avoid this pitfall ourselves? In the West, where I live, the great Christmas celebrations are filled with splendor, with planning for gatherings, beautiful appearances and services, and all kinds of holiday frenzy as they are an important part of commerce. It is easy to get caught up in the spirit of this time and all of the spectacle of it all. But now in Advent, these words remind us of something more powerful than all of that, than all of the collective energies of celebration and commerce, and images driven from the season, and that is the love of God, of truth, of that flame that must burn in our hearts - otherwise it is all just spectacle. Jesus' words remind us that beyond the images of our world, and all the things we praise and honor and make a great fuss about, there is a depth within us of connection and love that teaches us how and what to honor, that will always tell us the truth, that speaks in us and lives and abides in us if we love it. Can you make that connection of love in the secret place, amidst all the bustle of this season? This flame lives, it is alive, and we must allow it to live in us, to love and nurture that connection so that we will understand its work and know it when we see it. It's not just about reading the Scriptures, but about life, and what lives within us and in our midst at all times. Remember the child for whom there will be no place in Bethlehem, who will not even be counted in the great census, and for whom comes no honor and recognition, save from those who have the word of God in their hearts. We trust in His words, but do we love them and live them? Can we be like Him?

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